Domestic water supply system



July 22, 1952 G|| DER 2,604,110

DOMESTIC WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM Filed Nov. 29, 1948 are/v70: P2414202 M 671052 *5 mkmwg Fig. 2,

Patented July 22, 1952 UNITEDFYSTATE DOMESTIC WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM Framroz Nowroji Gilder, Bombay, India Application November 29, 1948, Serial No. 62,557 V In Great Britain December 6, 1947 Claims.

This invention relates to domestic water supply systems for supplying water to the various floor levels of a building. 1

It is one of the objects of the invention to provide a system which includes means for automatically regulating the amount of water which may be drawn ofi at the various floor levels under certain conditions, so as to ensure that an equitable supply is provided at each floor level.

According to the present invention the water supply system includes a common pipe for delivering water to the various floors, and a branch pipe at each floor'level connected at its inner end with the common pipe and provided at its outer end with a tap for drawing off water, each branch pipe including means adapted automatically to restrict the supply of water to its tap or cook should the pressure of Water in the common pipe exceed a predetermined pressure, or the taps of the branch pipes at other floor levels be in open position.

Inthe case where the lower end of the common pipe is connected with a town or other main service supply adapted to deliver water to and raise it up the common pipe, valve means, for

example a-ball valve, is providedin each branch pipe except at the top floor which is operated by the pressure of water in the common pipe to restrict the supply through the branch pipes if the pressure in the common pipe is sufficient to raise water to a higher floor level.

,A modified arrangement is providedwhere the water is supplied to the floors by gravity from a storage tank at or above the top floor, the -'modified arrangement includes a junction pipe 'connected with the common pipe at each floor level except the lowest floor, the junction pipe including means adapted to divide the water flowing into it so that only-part thereof is delivered to the branchpipe, should a tap on a lower floor level be in open position.

To enable the invention to-be fully understood it will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically. a water supply system to a building wherein the wall is supplied from a town or other main service supply,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the valve means at f the branch pipes,

- Fig. 3 is amodification of. the valvemeans in Figs. 4 anjd'5 are side andend views of the modified stop shown in Fig.3, and

Fig. '6 is a section ofthe junction pipe pro-' .vided in the lcornmon 'pipe" at .the' various iioor levels when, the water is supplied from a storage tank at or above the top floor of the building.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 indicates diagrammatically the water supply system to a building wherein l indicates a service main water supply, 2 a common riser pipe for delivering water to the floor levels a, b, c, d where it may be drawn oiT through branch pipes 3w, 3d having a tap or cock 4a4d.

The branch pipes at the floors a, b, c are connected with the common riser pipe 2 by a T joint having vertical arms 5 adapted to be screwed to sections of the pipe 2 and a branch 6 adapted to be screwed to a branch pipe 3. As shown more particularly in Figs. 2 and 3 the branch 6 has a bore which tapers inwardly from the pipe 2 with its base 6a, sloping downwardly towards the pipe 2. A-ball Tis mounted for rolling engagement over the base 6a of the branch 6 and its movement is limited by a stop pin 8 at the outer end of the bore adjacent to the pipe 2 and a second stoppin 9 at the inner end of the tapered bore.

The ball valve arrangement isadapted automatically to limit the amount of water which may be drawn off at any floor level under certain supply conditions so thatan equitable supply of water is assured to each floor. a a

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 is particularly adapted for cases where the main service supply is apt to vary so that at times there may not be sufficient pressure in the mains to raise water to the upper floor levels of a building;

Assuming, for example, that the pressure in the main l is only'sufilcient to raise water in the pipe 2 to the branch 3a at floor level-a, when the tap 4d at this floor is opened, the pressure of water flowing through'the branch 3a will not be sufilcient to move the ball 7 from the position shown in full lines inFig. 2 and accordingly water .will flow over the ball freely to the tap. Should, however, the pressure in the service main I be justsufflcient to raise water to say the next floor level b, the eflicient supply at this floor b would be prevented if a fullsupplyof water was still being drawn off through the tap 4a on the lower floor. 1

According to the present invention, however, should the pressure be sufiicient to raise water to the higher fioor level 19, the ball I in the branch pipe 3 a will automatically be moved'inwardly to rest against the inner stoppin 9 to restrict the flow path in branch Band 'limitthe amount of water drawn off atthe lower floor a.

' invention.

' and comprises an inlet passage screwed to the .upper section l3, and twin outlets l; IS, the outlet l5 being screwed to the adjacent lower section ofjthe pipe Isa, and out- Similarly the balls at the higher floor levels 12, 0, will be actuated to restrict the supply to the respective floors if there is sufiicient pressure to raise the water up the pipe 2 to a higher floor. Obviously a restricting ball device is not necessary at the topfloor (1.

Accordingly, provided there is sufficient pressure toraise waterhto any of the floor levels an equitable supply cannot be prevented from reaching such a floor by abuse of the occupants of lower floors attempting to draw off a full supply of water.

In the event of water not being available through temporary failure of pressure in the service main, users often leave their taps fully open either through design orinadvertence and in known supply systems, this not only may prevent higher floor levels obtaining their supply of water but also leads to waste should the occupant not be in attendance to turnoff the taps immediately the supplyis available Both these drawbacks are, however, obviated by the present By reason "of the sloping-bottom 6a the ball :a'utomatically returns to its original position resting against the pin 8 whenthe tap connected with the branch pipe is turned oil". 7 1 The'branch connection shown in Fig. 3 is substantially the same as that shewn in Fig; 2 except that the stop 9 is replaced by astop comprising I an apertured base I8 having projecting buffer "stops IL The stop according to Fig. .3 is detachably secured by clamping the base ['9 between-the adjacent endsof the branch 6 and branchpipe 3 bymeans of 'a. union 12. This pe rmits the stop to be readilydetachable to enable the ball 1 to be removed 'for inspection.

It willbe notedthat-the ball "valve restricting device is entirely automatic inaction and includes no parts likely to get out oforder. Fur- 1 therthe ball by its movement keeps itself and thebranch '6 in 'whichit operates free from dirt or scale likely to hinder its efficient operation. A modified arrangement is shewn'in Fig. 6 which is adapted'foruse in buildings wherein the water supply to a series of floor levels is supplied from a storage tank located at the top of the building. V 'In Fig. 6 is shewn a junction adapted to be provided at each floorlevel above the bottom or ground "floor. As shewn in Fig.

l3, 13a are sections of facominon pipe leading from the storage tank (not shewn) to the various floors. At each of said floor levels a junction pipe is interposed between the pip esections I13, I 3a I' l which is let [6 beingscrewed to a branch pipe 11 leading to a tap or cook for drawing ofi water at the particular floor level. The bridge portion of the junction pipe between the outlets 15, I5 is formed witha projecting 'wall 18 which is located offcentre of the longitudinal central axis of the upper pipe section l3 towards the outlet l6 leading to the tap at the particular floor level, thereby the projection 18 slots to deflect the major portion of the water flowing into the inlet I 4 into the outlet [5 for delivery through pipe section 1311 to the junction pipe at a lower floor'level,

j the remaining portionjof the 'water flowing into the outlet 16 for delivery to the tap at the particular floor. e V x u x u r In the caseof the top ne'er oiithe building assuming the tapscn the lower floors are closed,

4 pipe [30. and the outlet will be filled by a static column of water and accordingly if the tap on the top floor is opened a full supply may be drawn ch as all the water in pipe I3 will flow into outlet I6. Should, however, an occupant of a lower floor open a. tap to draw ofi water, the column of water in pipe I3a will flow downwardly and the water from pipe l3 will be divided so that only a portion will flow into the outlet IS, the remaining major part flowing through the outlet IE to the lower floors. With a deflecting junction pipe located at each floor level it will be seen that it will be impossible for an occupant todraw off all the water when some is required by the occupant of a lower floor, and consequently an equitable supply to all the floors is assured. It will be obvious that with the water supply from a storage tank at the top of a building the special deflecting junction will not be needed for the lowermost floor level, the branch pipe for this floor being directly connected with the common down pipe.

I claim:

1. In a domestic water supply system for supplying water to several floor levels of a building the provision of a common pipe up which water is raised to the various floor levels, a branch pipe at each floor level connected at its inner end with the common pipe and provided at its outer end with a tap for drawing off' water, and restrictor means in the said branch pipes at each floor level except the top floor level, the said restrictor means including means which permit a substantially unrestrictedflow of water through a branch pipe to its tap at any one floor level when the pressure in the-said common pipe is only sufficient to raise water up the common pipe to that particular floor levelbut automatically limits the supply through the said branch pipe at the particular floor level when the pressure in the said common pipe is suificient to raise water up the said common pipe to a higher floor level.

-2. Ida domestic water supply system for supplying water to several floor levelsof a building the provision of a common pipe up which water is raised tothe various floor levels, a branch pipe at each floor level connected at its inner end with the common pipe and provided at its outer end with a tap for drawingofi water and a ball 'cient to raise the waterfup said common pipe to a higher floor level.

3. In a domestic water s'ii-"pply system fc'r supplying water to"severa1-fioor levels of a building the provision of a commbn pipe up which -vve'iter is raised to the various "floor levels, a branch pipe at each floor level 'ccnnected at its inner end with the oommon pipe'a'nd' provided at its outer end with" a tap for drawing off water, each of said branch pipes belowthe'top floor-level having a bore of taperedfcross section, a ball restrictor freely'mounted in said "tapered bored and displaceable inwardly of said tapered bore by the flow of water'automatically to'restrict the flow of'water through a branch pipe at any bf the'fioor levels when the pressure in said common pipe is sufficient to "raise the water up said common pipe to a l'iigher floo'rlevel.

"4. A domestic "watersflpply system according to claim 3 wherein spaced stops are provided in said tapered portion of said branch pipe to limit the movement of said ball.

5. In a domestic water supply system for supplying water to several floor levels of a building the provision of a common pipe up which water is raised to the various floor levels, a branch pipe at each floor level connected at its inner end with the common pipe and provided at its outer end with a tap for drawing off water, a portion of each of said branch pipes below the top floor levels having a cross section tapering from the inner to the outer end, a ball freely mounted in said tapered sections and displaceable inwardly automatically in said sections when the pressure in said common pipe exceeds a predetermined minimum pressure, a fixed stop in said tapered Number 6 section for limiting the outward movement of said ball and a removable stop in said tapered section for limiting the inward movement of said ball.

FRAMROZ NOWROJI GILDER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 239,284 Weisbarth Mar. 22, 1881 783,829 Goodwin Feb. 28, 1905 879,472 Keller Feb. 18, 1908 1,243,454 Spaleck Oct. 16, 1917 1,468,109 Howard Sept. 18, 1923 

